A Night of Music
by Ketchupwings
Summary: Will is bitten by a Shax demon, and Jem rushes to his side and fills the night with music.
1. Chapter 1

**I got this idea when I was rereading the epilogue of _Clockwork Princess_. I hope you enjoy the first chapter!  
**

_London, 1886_

The moon shone solemnly overhead in an overcast sky as the carriage rattled through the dark streets of London. Tessa sat in the back seat, fidgeting with her fingers, impatiently looking out the window. Her eyes had a wild look to them, and she desperately tapped her foot against the floor of the carriage.

"Too slow, too slow," she muttered to herself. "Too slow!"

Finally, the carriage came to a halt. Tessa flew out the carriage door before it had even properly stopped, landing painfully on her ankle. She winced but hurried forwards.

She was not in a well-to-do part of London, and all around her, the poor and the homeless turned their eyes on her. Usually, she would send them a smile of sympathy or even talk to them, but not tonight. Tonight, she had a graveyard to visit.

This was a graveyard not many people visited, not even the Shadowhunters, who gave it a wide berth. But Tessa had been here once before, and she knew where to go. She hurried to the statue of an angel with outstretched hands, holding out a stone cup. Stopping in front of it, she pulled out the stele she had concealed up her sleeve. Leaning down, she nervously traced the outline of a rune on the statue's base, unsure of whether it would work. The angel's mouth gaped wide, and a black hole, like an open grave, appeared in the turf before Tessa. Swallowing nervously, Tessa tucked the stele back into her sleeve and descended into the darkness of the Silent City.

This was not Tessa's first time to the City of Bones, and yet she was struck once again by its haunting majesty. The arches and tombs made her feel as though she should be kneeling on the ground, her hands clasped in prayer. This was the holiest place of the Nephilim.

As she descended further into the Silent City, a shape materialized out of the shadows. As it came closer, it took the form of a hooded man. The shadows wrapped around him like a second skin.

"Brother Enoch," Tessa breathed.

_Tessa Gray_. The Silent Brother's voice spoke in her head, cold and detached. _Why do you come here? It is forbidden for anyone to enter the Silent City without our approval_.

"I know, I know," Tessa said. "But I must see Jem – I mean, Brother Zachariah."

_The Silent Brothers cannot be summoned on demand_.

"It's an emergency!" Tessa blurted out. "Please! I _have_ to see him." Her voice broke.

There was silence. Tessa was half afraid that Brother Enoch would order her out of the Silent City, back to the world above.

Instead, he turned. _Follow me_.

**~~ Page Break ~~**

_Tessa_.

With a half sob, Tessa turned and faced Jem.

He wore, of course, the parchment robes of the Silent Brothers. His skin was deathly pale, almost as it had been in life, and his eyes were closed. Every second looking at him was a dagger in Tessa's heart, for she was reminded of how Jem had changed.

And yet, her heart sped up when she saw him. No matter how he had changed, he was still her _Jem_.

"Jem," she breathed.

_Why are you here?_ Tessa winced at the coldness in his voice – she hoped it was unintentional. _It is forbidden_.

"Jem, I had to," she said. "It is a matter of life and death."

_Then speak, daughter of Lilith. What is it you seek?_

Tessa winced at "daughter of Lilith", then took a trembling breath.

"Will is hurt," she said in a very small voice. "He was hunting down a Shax demon in Islington and it bit him. He barely made it back to the Institute." She stopped and almost choked. "Jem – I think he's dying."

There was silence, and now Tessa let the tears flow down her cheeks as she let the fear and the worry stream out of her in rivers of pain.

"Please come with me," she whispered. "Please come with me to see him."

Silence for a long time.

_I cannot leave the Silent City_, Jem replied. His disembodied voice was emotionless. _It is forbidden_.

"Jem, please!" Tessa begged, now openly sobbing into her sleeve. "He needs you. He's in bed, ill, feverish, too weak to lift a finger. All he wants is to see his best friend."

_I cannot. I will be punished_. Was that a crack in Jem's voice? A sign of emotion? Tessa pounced on it.

"Please."

Silence for a long time. Then Jem turned.

_Follow me. Quickly. We cannot be seen_.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Tessa followed Jem. They disappeared into the shadows of the Silent City.

**Reviews please! How did you find this beginning?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! This chapter's a bit longer than the first one:**

Tessa hurried through the Institute. Jem followed from behind, moving swiftly but silently – not even his robes made a single swishing sound as they hastened to Will's bedside.

After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the door to Tessa and Will's room. Tessa paused at the door.

_Is something wrong?_

"No, nothing," Tessa breathed. She opened the door into Will's old room.

In many ways, the room was just as it had been when Tessa had first stepped into it with Jem, oh so long ago. Perhaps it was slightly less messy than before – Tessa had seen to it when she moved in that the room was given some much-needed feminine care – but books were still in abundance: on the wooden bureau, lined up on the shelves, stacked up on chairs and desks. But some things had changed. Where once there had been a single bed, there was now a large double bed. Tessa's possessions now lay on various pieces of dark furniture throughout the room. But if Jem noticed any of these changes, he gave no sign of it. He had eyes only for the Shadowhunter lying spread-eagled on the double bed.

Will's skin was deathly pale. Even from the doorway, in the dim witchlight, Tessa could see the beads of sweat on his forehead. His eyes were closed, and he twitched every few seconds. His lips moved, and from them poured barely audible whimpers of pain – the only indication of the agony he must be enduring. His chest laboured up and down as he drew breath. Seeing him in this state, it was all Tessa could do to bite back her sobs.

Charlotte sat by the bedside. Her eyes were red from crying, and she was shaking. She held Will's hand and stroked it as he twitched. As Tessa and Jem entered, she looked up, and her mouth fell slightly open. "Jem," she breathed.

_Charlotte_. Jem's voice was emotionless as ever.

"What are you doing here? If the Silent Brothers find out – "

_If the Silent Brothers find out, I will gladly accept my punishment. But first, I must see my _parabatai_. _Jem moved to Will's bed.

"Is he any better?" Tessa asked Charlotte.

Charlotte shook her head and bit her lip. "No," she responded hoarsely. "His fever has only grown worse from the moment you left his side."

"Is there nothing you can do to help him?" Tessa pleaded, not for the first time.

Again, Charlotte shook her head. "Demon venom is extremely potent. It is not impossible for a Shadowhunter to recover from it – but there is no antidote. Anyone who comes back must do so on his own merits, and it requires great willpower."

"Which Will has in abundance," Tessa whispered.

Charlotte nodded, and rose to her feet. She drew herself straight, as though trying to gain control of herself. "I shall leave you now," she whispered. "I cannot – " She could not finish her sentence, and left without trying.

Jem now stood by Will, looking down at him. Tessa moved to take the seat that Charlotte had just vacated. "You are a Silent Brother," she whispered. "Is there nothing you can do? Your powers of healing are far greater than those of ordinary Nephilim."

_Charlotte spoke the truth, Tessa. Demon venom is far too potent, even for a Silent Brother. I cannot do anything for him – he must fight this on his own_.

And now Tessa let the tears pour forth freely. She clutched Will's limp hand to her face and wept as he feebly tried to respond, moving his fingers at the sound of her sobs. And Jem stood by in silence.

Finally, as Tessa's sobs subsided, Will opened his eyes. "Tessa," he croaked. It was a harsh, terrible sound, but it was Will. She leaned in to kiss his feverish lips.

"Look," she whispered, pointing to his other side. With effort, Will turned to look.

"James?" he wheezed. "James, is that you?"

_It is, brother._

Will reached out a hand, and Jem took it.

For seconds, minutes, possibly even an hour, they stayed like that – Tessa holding one of Will's hands, Jem holding the other. Then Jem withdrew. Tessa looked up, to beseech him to return – and then saw what he was doing.

Jem's old violin lay on the wooden bureau. Tessa and Will had vowed to always keep it, and had barely touched it since Jem had left, for fear of ruining it. Now, as Jem took it, it seemed to regain some of the shine that it had once had, as if it recognized the hands of its old master, however scarred and changed.

Jem took the bow and started to play.

The notes poured from the instrument as they always had. Jem spoke through his music, describing the love and friendship, deeper than blood, that connected him with his _parabatai_. The strings sang, lyrically and melodiously, more beautifully than any songbird. Will shifted on his bed.

As always, Jem painted a picture with his song, and the notes were his paints. He swirled and dashed them on the canvas that was Tessa and Will's ears, and told the story of a little boy who travelled halfway across the world to a foreign country to meet his other half. Like an eagle, the notes soared ever higher, climbing higher and higher until they reached their climax.

Tessa was unaware of the trance she was in until the music ended. How long had Jem been playing? Five minutes? Five hours? She knew not. Jem replaced the violin on the bureau and returned to Will's bedside, taking his hand again.

Colour, nothing more than the faintest hue, had returned to Will's cheeks. His eyes were closed again, but now he breathed more comfortably – the shuddering, rattling breaths had subsided. The sweat was starting to dry on his forehead.

"Jem," she whispered, "he's better."

_Yes, he is better_.

They sat in silence for a while longer. Then Tessa raised her eyes to Jem's face.

"Play the violin again," she urged.

Silence.

"Please, Jem. He is better now, and it is thanks to your playing. Please play it again."

Silence. Then, Jem moved towards the bureau, and picked the violin up again.

This time, the piece he played was more desperate. It was a plea to Will, begging him not to give in to the poison. With a single note, Jem played a thousand words, and through his music he poured out all the emotion that he knew he could not display as a Silent Brother. The strings spoke of two halves of the same soul. As Jem played the last few notes, Tessa once again felt wet tears course down her cheeks.

Jem once again put down the violin and returned to Will's bedside. Neither he nor Tessa uttered a word, and instead watched Will.

Finally, Tessa was aware of a faint glimmer of light through the windows. The sun was beginning to rise over London. As they continued to wait in silence, the room brightened. The soft morning sunshine illuminated Will's sleeping face.

All trace of the poison seemed to be gone. He now rested peacefully, breathing easily. There was even a hint of a snore as he slumbered.

_He will live_.

Tessa started as Jem's voice spoke in her mind.

_Will has fought the venom and won_, Jem said. _And it is time for me to leave_.

"No." Tessa let go of Will's hand and reached out for Jem, but he was already moving to the door. "Jem, please stay."

_I must hasten to the Silent City before I am found_, Jem replied. But Tessa detected just the faintest trickle of emotion in his voice, the faintest hint that it was her Jem under the parchment robes, and she understood him, just as she always had.

Jem could not bear to say goodbye to Will yet again.

The Silent Brother left the room, and this time, Tessa did not stop him.

**Reviews please! Tell me what you think of this chapter.**


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